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Sopa de Fideo

Quick, simple and delicious sopa de fideo (a Mexican noodle soup) is the ultimate easy Mexican comfort food made with pantry friendly ingredients in less than 30 minutes! Fideo is a robust, savory soup made with thin fideo pasta (like short vermicelli), simmered in a robust, rich, smoky, tomato-based broth dressed with cilantro and lime juice. You can keep the fideo recipe extremely simple or use it as a springboard for any add-ins such as corn, zucchini, leftover rotisserie chicken, etc. Dress up your big bowl of comforting, hearty fideo with crumbled cotija, Mexican crema and jalapenos and you have a quick Mexican soup that you will make again and again!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings 4 -6 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 14.5 ounce cans fire roasted diced tomatoes with juices
  • 1/2 onion, roughly chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1 jalapeno or 1 chipotle pepper in adobo
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon granulated chicken bouillon
  • 1 tsp EACH dried oregano, ground cumin, salt
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 7-8 ounces fideo pasta (may sub thin spaghetti or vermicelli noodles broken into 1 in. pieces)
  • 4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • ¼ cup packed fresh cilantro minced

Instructions

  • Add tomatoes, onions, garlic, jalapeno and all seasonings to your blender and blend until completely smooth; set aside.
    a collage showing how to make fideo by adding tomatoes, onions, garlic to a blender then blending until smooth
  • Heat oil in a 4-quart or larger Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the fideo pasta and sauté, stirring constantly, until lightly browned about 3-5 minutes.
    showing how to make fideo by browning fideo pasta in a sillet
  • Add the blender tomato sauce and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer for 8-10 minutes or until noodles are tender.
    showing how to make fideo by adding fideo pasta to tomato sauce in skillet
  • Stir in lime juice and chopped cilantro. Season to taste with salt, pepper and/or cayenne pepper.
    showing how to make fideo by adding cilantro and lime juice
  • Serve with your favorite toppings such as cheese, jalapenos, avocados, tortilla chips, Mexican crema/sour cream, crushed chips, etc.

Notes

Tip for Success

  • Fideo pasta: Is round and thin like spaghetti noodles, but short and bite-sized, about 1-inch long. You should be able to find fideo in the pasta aisle of your grocery store labeled as either “fideo” or “cut spaghetti.”  If you can’t find fideo noodles in your grocery store you can order them online, here is the exact pasta I used.  The best substitute is thin spaghetti/vermicelli broken into short 1-inch pieces.  The second-best option is use regular spaghetti (broken up).  You’ll want to stay away from angel hair—it’s so thin that it will cook too quickly.
  • Fired roasted diced tomatoes: Boast a wonderful smoky flavor and are sweeter with less acidity than regular diced tomatoes. Most grocery stores carry them next to the traditional diced tomatoes but if you can’t find them, then substitute regular diced tomatoes with a pinch of sugar and possibly a dash of liquid smoke if you keep it stocked (use a light hand!).
  • Chicken bouillon: Adds a depth of flavor you won’t get by using just chicken broth.  You can use granulated chicken bouillon, chicken bouillon cubes or better than bouillon. If using cubes, crush them up first then add directly to the broth, don’t dissolve in water first.
  • Cooking times will vary:  Whenever pasta dishes are cooked in one pot, there are several variables such as the type of pot, size of pot, actual simmer temperature and actual pasta shape used.  Due to these variables, the fideo noodles may take more or less cooking time so be prepared to pay attention and be flexible. Monitor the fideo for doneness, relying on YOUR tasting skills. 
  • Adjust to taste: If you feel like your finished fideo soup is missing something, it is likely salt and heat. Once you season to taste with salt and a little cayenne pepper, then all the flavors will come alive. 
  • Don’t skimp the garnishes! The garnishes are especially important in sopa de fideo because the soup itself is rich and brothy without many textural components other than the fideo noodles. The soup needs the brightness and contrasting crunch the toppings provide.
  • Recipe variations:  See post for lots of recipe variation ideas such as adding shredded chicken, beans, corn, zucchini, etc. 

How to Store and Reheat Fideo 

  • Storage: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days. 
  • Microwave: Heat at for 60 seconds, then at 30-second intervals until warmed through, stirring often. 
  • Stove: Add the fideo soup to a saucepan and heat over medium heat until warmed through, stirring often.